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Deportation agents and the U.S. government must present more arguments by May 6th in a federal suit aimed at continuing deportations of young immigrants who are in the U.S. unlawfully.

The target is an Obama administration initiative called deferred action for childhood arrivals, or DACA. It provides a process for halting deportation for certain young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as minors. Ten deportation agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, want to derail the initiative.

Federal Judge Reed O’Connor issued a 37-page interim ruling this week and indicated the agents were “likely to succeed on the merits of their claim.”

The agents are suing their bosses, including Janet Napolitano, the Secretary of Homeland Security.

The U.S. government attorneys argued the complaint was essentially an employment dispute and that the Dallas federal court was the wrong venue under the federal Civil Service Reform Act.

In his interim ruling, O’Connor asked questions about the effect of the agents’ collective barganing agreement and the Civil Service
Reform Act, as well. O’Connor suggested the federal governments’ arguments on that point had been “inadequate.”

The Mexican Consulate in Dallas is on extended hours this weekend and into the future as it assists young Mexicans here with the ironic task of documenting their undocumented status. Up for grabs, on a case by case basis, is a a deferred deportation and a work permit in the U.S. for a two-year period.

We caught up with Mayra Nino, a 22-year-old, this week in one of the swelling lines at the Mexican consulate here since the Obama administration made the June 15th announcement that they’d be offering deferred action for young immigrants brought here unlawfully at least five years ago. Some have even camped out at the consulate.

A crucial document for establishing foreign identity is the Mexican passport, which might seem obvious but many of these young people have tried to pass for U.S. citizens since their arrival. Now they have to prove they’ve been in the U.S. unlawfully but have been convicted of no felonies or serious misdemeanors. Applicants must be under 31 years of age on June 15th, 2012.

Young people must also prove they are in high school, have graduated, or are enrolled in a equivalency program, among other things.

Nino, a Garland High School grad, says she understands there are risks to the initiative. If approved, the initiative offers her a place in a limbo of contradictions, where she won’t be considered “a lawful resident” under the complex categories of immigration law but will have a work permit. The initiative doesn’t give her a chance to get in line for a green card that leads to citizenship, but it does mean she won’t be deported.

Nino’s been in community college and would like to find a good, stable job beyond cleaning offices. Her parents gave her the $74 to pay for a three-year passport from the Mexican government, and she must pay another $465 to the U.S. government for her application for what’s officially known as deferred action for childhood arrivals.

“This means more opportunities and the feeling of not being scared,” she said.

There are still questions the federal government hasn’t answered and some are afraid of confidentiality issues when they disclose information that points to older immigrants in the family who are in the U.S. unlawfully. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services began accepting applications this Wednesday. They supply some answers here on confidentiality and not sharing information with law enforcement agencies–in certain cases.

“I know it is not permanent,” says Nino, who came to Texas at the age of six from the border city of Nuevo Laredo. “It could change at any time. But you have to go for it.”

The consulate will be open every Saturday from 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. so that they can meet the demand of all the other Mexicans like Nino, says the consulate crew. An updated Facebook page offers more information.

Catholic Charities staff, featured above, are offering consultations, too. The North Texas DREAM Team will offer a free session tomorrow between noon and 4 p.m. at the Plano Bazaar on 1409 Jupiter Road.